A Foley man recently testified in Washington, D.C., to share perspective on what will help improve the reliability of rural/small water and electric systems.

Mark Bohlin, who currently serves as the general manager of the Perdido Bay Water, Sewer and Fire Protection District in Baldwin County and Alabama Rural Water Association president, testified at a U.S. Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry (AG) Subcommittee on Rural Development and Energy hearing on Wednesday, July 10, upon the request of U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL).

Bohlin represents District 9, including Baldwin, Mobile and Washington counties, which spans 41 community water systems that service over 250,000 homes and businesses within the state.

Alongside Wiregrass Electric Cooperative CEO Brad Kimbro, Bohlin attended the hearing entitled "The State of Rural Infrastructure: Emergency Response, Recovery and Resilience." Bohlin and Kimbro touched on workforce development, cybersecurity and program flexibility, also suggesting additions to the upcoming Farm Bill aimed to help provide reliable service to rural areas, most notably in the event of natural disasters.

"It's crucial to emphasize that small and rural communities heavily depend on the Rural Development Water and Environmental Programs (RD WEP) to maintain and enhance their utilities and affordable services," Bohlin testified. "These communities often lack the resources and capacity to compete with larger systems for funding, exacerbating the gap between their needs and the funds they receive. Ensuring adequate resources are allocated to these programs is vital to support the sustainability and development of essential services in rural areas. Without sufficient funding, these communities face continued infrastructure deterioration and increased challenges in providing clean and safe water to their residents."

Bohlin also asked the committee to consider requesting the USDA Economic Research Service to issue a report surveying the actual needs of all rural communities eligible for RD WEP funding, while detailing additional financial and sustainability challenges such as cybersecurity assessments and enhancements, workforce development, compliance with the lead and copper rule and current/upcoming federal mandates, among others. According to Bohlin, inflation related to equipment costs combined with issues in the supply chain currently plague small water utilities.

In regards to emergency response, recovery and resilience, Bohlin states that the NRWA and State Rural Water Associations, lead agencies in disaster recovery in small and rural communities, haven't received any federal funding to enhance these efforts — outside of limited resources offered under the USDA Circuit Rider program, limited to recovery activities to systems under a population of 10,000. Currently, federal assistance is terminated once service is restored.

"I firmly believe that with additional federal support, mutual aid, effective collaboration and thoughtful planning, we can address the challenges of emergencies and enhance the response, recovery and resilience of rural water and wastewater system infrastructure nationwide," Bohlin continued. "Our State Rural Water Associations currently provide aid at their own expense, without full compensation or reimbursement for their time and effort."

Stressing the need for comprehensive funding to support the work of these associations, Bohlin testified that pending bipartisan legislation within the final 2023 Farm Bill would provide the additional authorities necessary for proper disaster assistance.